The Wheel and the Butterfly
A Dan X Pinkie Pie saga
Part 9 Dan Vs. The Order Keepers
Chapter 68: Dan Vs. The Nexus
*****
Two things were very clear to Dan.
Pinkie was screaming like a banshee, and something was trying to take her away from him.
The latter seemed easier to the deal with at the moment.
Dan held tight despite the fact that he couldn’t actually see anything. He could feel something though…
Wait…that’s her hand right? I have her hand…
Okay…that doesn’t feel like a hand anymore…it feels…hard…and…furry?
Whatever, like hell I’m letting go.
Whatever these things are, if they want Pinkie, they’re about to find out she’s a package deal, and her boyfriend isn’t very keen on the idea of intradimensional beings who break into his apartment and try to kidnap his girlfriend.
Huh…are we…falling? It’s like being on a roller coaster except it’s completely dark…
I wonder when we’ll…
‘THUD!’
“OOOFF!”
“EEEEK!”
…stop…
“Uhlg…” Dan pushed himself off the barren ground, leaning on one arm as he rubbed the other over his face. His face which had just greeted the ground forcefully.
Well, at least that was Pinkie’s girly shriek, I hope she’s…
Dan paused as he saw a familiar mop of pink hair.
Pinkie stood up. “Da…Dan? Where are we!? What happened! Oh my gosh! I think TOK just kidnapped us!”
“Pinkie?”
“Dan! What are we going to do!?” Pinkie asked in a panicked tone “Oh, this is so bad! So very, very, very, very, very bad!”
“Pinkie!”
“I mean, we’ve been in bad situations before! But, this is like the Count, Grand Duke, Royal Vizier, King, Emperor of Bad Situation Land, right here!”
“PINKIE!”
“Oh Celstia, I’m gonna freak out! Can I freak out?! Dan is it okay to freak out! Oh geez, I’m doing it! I’m freaking out! I mean…out of all the things that can happened that warrant freaking out, this has got to be like way, way, way at the top of the ;okay to freak out about; list!”
“PIIIIINKIEEEEEEEEEEEE PIEEEEEEE!”
“WHAT?!” Pinkie replied. “Wait…” She gave Dan a quick look up and down. “Since when are you taller than me.” Pinkie gasped. “Did I shrink?!”
Dan sighed.
Well, at least there’s absolutely no question as to if it’s her, or not.
“No, Pinkie, you’re...”
“Oh my gosh, are my legs gone?! Give it to me straight Dan! I’m a big girl! I can take it. Are my legs gone?! ARE THE?! TELL ME! TELL ME IF MY LEGS ARE GONE! OH CELESTIA, PLEASE DON’T SAY MY LEGS ARE GONE!”
“You’re legs are fine, goofball.” Dan informed. “Uh…I think…”
Pinkie quickly blanked her expression and dialed down her panic into a worried expression. “What do you mean, you think?”
Dan sighed. “Just look for yourself.”
Pinkie finally glanced at her own appendages, taking note that where pale, pink human legs, arms, feet, and hands once were, bright pinkly colored pony legs and hooves now extended from her torso.
Pinkie gasped as much oxygen as she physically could. “I’m ME again!” She said excitedly. “Oh my gosh! Ohmygosh!” Pinkie began to bounce on all fours, circling around Dan who simply stood his in place and followed her with his eyes with a perplexed expression.
“Wheeeeeee! I missed pronking so much! Dan come pronk with…” Pinkie stopped dead in her tracks and put on the worried expression to end all worried expressions.
“DAN! I’M NOT HUMAN ANY MORE!” Pinkie shirked.
“Yeah, I got that…” Dan replied.
“OH MY CELESTIA! MY BOYFRIEND IS A DIFFERENT SPECIES FROM ME!” Pinkie screamed, her voice becoming increasingly shrill.
“Pinkie, just calm down, this isn’t the time…”
Pinkie zipped up to Dan, stood on her hind legs, and grasped at his shirt as best she could with her forehooves. “DAN?! CAN YOU LOVE A PONY?!”
“I uh…what!?”
“ANSWER THE QUESTION!” Pinkie said, her voice a high pitched screech at this point. “CAN YOU LOVE A PONY!?”
Dan pondered the question and the implications, looking his recently returned to pony form girlfriend up and down.
She doesn’t mean…
Uh…we’ll sort that out later…way later, hopefully…
Pinkie whimpered and began to tremble as she leaned against Dan.
Geez, I need to calm her down and get both our heads in the game, here.
“Uh…yes, Pinkie, I can love a pony.” Dan assured.
Pinkie breathed a giant sigh of relief. “Oh! Thank you! THANKYOUTHANKYOU!”
Pinkie wrapped her forehooves around Dan and gave him a deep, passionate kiss.
Dan’s eyes went wide, and he quickly pried Pinkie off of him.
“Bleh, Ptuu…” Dan doubled over and began to spit.
Pinkie’s pupils shrank to the size of pin-pricks as she landed on her hooves. “Dan! I’m sorry, what did I do?”
“Uh…not your fault.” Dan replied, holding a palm up and out. “I’m just not use to getting fur in my mouth when you kiss me.”
“Oh…” Pinkie said weakly, looking completely dejected.
Dan gave his girlfriend another look over.
I can never resist that face…
Even if it’s now on a pony…
Dan lowered himself to his knees, and gently placed his fist under Pinkie’s chin, raising her face so she was looking into his green eyes, with her big, watery, sky-blue eyes.
“Hey, we’ll figure this all out. Okay?”
“Sniff…Really?” Pinkie said with a small smile.
Dan nodded. “You’re still the woman I love…even if you’re a pony…uh…” Dan glanced to the side for a split second “…again.”
Pinkie’s expression exploded with joy as she launched herself at her boyfriend, tackling him to the ground.
“Gahk!” Dan uttered as he felt his back crack as legs wrapped tightly around him.
“I love you, too, Dan…” Pinkie uttered.
Dan gently wrapped his arms around Pinkie. “Yeah, you and me against the world.”
Pinkie began to sob gently in Dan’s arms. “Wouldn’t…wouldn’t have it any other way…”
“Uh, speaking of worlds, and …as much as I hate to interrupt this mushy moment…” Dan looked around at the dim, black blue surroundings, lit by stars that barely pierced the fog. “…Where are we?”
Pinkie loosened her grip and stood up, whipped a foreleg across her eyes, and looked around. “Oh…well…we’re someplace I never been before!” She informed.
Dan sighed. “Thanks, genius. You’re a lot of help.”
Pinkie smiled back at her boyfriend. “Anytime!” She replied happily.
Dan stood to his feet and continued to take in his surroundings. “Didn’t Sparkler mention something about those cloudy guys?”
“Oh, right!” Pinkie replied. “She said that TOK’s world looked like this! Which means…” Pinkie gasped again. “Dan! We’re in the Nexus!”
“Awesome sauce…” Dan replied flatly. “How do we get out?”
“Uh…I have no idea!” Pinkie informed cheerfully.
“Of course you don’t…” Dan sighed out.
“Hey…Dan?”
“What is it, goofball?” Dan uttered in an irritated tone.
“Thanks for being here for me…”
“Uh, sure…it’s what I’m here for.” Dan replied. He began to scan the foggy, barren environment again, “Now if only we can find a way back…”
“Oooo! Oooo! I have an idea!”
Dan sighed. “I’m sure it’ll be stupid, but what?”
“You can spin me around and around, and where ever I point when I stop spinning is where we’ll go!” Pinkie suggested with a giant smile
Dan sighed. “I’ll let you know if we get that desperate.” Dan pointed out into the fog. “We’re going this way.”
“Why,” Pinkie asked as she giggled, “hehe… the air doesn’t smell so foul that way?”
Dan chuckled. “Heh, not quite goofball.” Dan paused and continued to stare out. “I dunno…I just know that’s the way we’re supposed to head.”
“Hmmm…” Pinkie considered this, then grinned. “When did you get all sixth sensey?”
“Your dumb pony sense must be rubbing off on me…” Dan mused.
“Pinkie sense.” Pinkie corrected.
“Whatever…we better get moving…” Dan said as he begun to walk in the direction he had indicated. “We’re missing some quality TV.” He added nonchalantly.
Pinkie began to walk with him. “We’ve just been transported to another dimension, and you’re concerned we’re going to miss a rerun of Population Control Johnny?!” Pinkie asked in surprise. “Geez, and everyone says I’m crazy…”
Dan shrugged. “We’re together, that’s all that matters.” He assured. “I’m sure you and I can handle whatever this place has to throw at us.”
Pinkie paused briefly, then smiled. “You’re awesome, you know that?”
Dan grinned. “I’m quite aware.”
“Well, it bears repeating,” Pinkie asserted as she trotted over to Dan and rubbing herself against him not unlike a cat…if a cat was substantially larger, pink, and also a pony.
“Uh…hey…” Dan uttered, lightly patting Pinkie’s mane.
Pinkie looked up with a slightly worried expression. “I’m sorry…am I freaking you out? Please let me know if I’m freaking you out…”
Dan smiled, and began to stroke Pinkie’s mane as he walked. “Naw…I’m just not used to you being a pony.” He said. “I’m not exactly sure what I should be doing with my hands.” He frowned. “It’s like working out our physical relationship all over again…”
Pinkie giggled. “You think you had it bad?!” Pinkie squeaked out. “I only had hands for a few months before we started getting all gropey with each other!”
Dan went silent.
Pinkie’s face changed to a worried pout. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to remind you that…”
“Hehehe…” Dan began to chuckle, a chuckle that quickly turned into full blown laughter, “..hehehehahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA..!”
Pinkie grinned, began to giggle, and then quickly joined in the laughter. “HehehehehehahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA..!”
The two laughed and laughed, completely unaware that the fog around them began to clear and the area around them brighten as they did.
-
Unbeknownst to Dan and Pinkie, dozens of sets of eyes had begun to gather above them. The eyes drifted some distance away, keeping pace with the odd couple, and observed the two as they trecked through the fogs of the Nexus.
“What are they doing?” A voice echoed out quietly.
“They seem to be…having some sort of spasms…” Another answered.
“Well, I meant to the Nexus, itself…but yes, that’s rather disturbing too…” The, first replied.
“Corporeal beings are so…strange…and disgusting,” A third voice declared.
“Enough,” A stern voice commanded. “The human should not even be here…”
“It must be The Warpers abilities,” one of the voices mused.
“Perhaps,” The stern voice replied, “but that hardly matters. We attack. Separate them, return the human to his world,” He ordered. “I will deal with The Warper once the human is away.”
With that, a mass of blue and black fog fell from the sky in a torrent, hitting the ground and surrounding Dan in Pinkie in sphere of gloom and darkness.
The two drew closer together, standing back to back…or flank to flank in this case…
“Dan! I’m scared…” Pinkie admitted as she tried to press herself against Dan as tightly as possible.
“I got this!” Dan assured. “DRAGON STANCE!” He shouted, raising his hands into the sky and lifting a foot into the air in an attempt at a martial arts stance.
The Order Keepers drew closer, closing up the half sphere of open air Pinkie and Dan occupied.
“Hiya! HEYA! Hiiiya!” Dan vainly chopped and kicked at The Order Keepers, his hands and feet passing harmlessly through them as they simply bellowed out of the way and continued to reduce the open air to almost nothing.
“Da…Dan? It’s not working…”Pinkie stammered out.
“It’ll work!” Dan insisted. “I’m just not punching hard enoughWHOA.”
The Order Keepers suddenly closed in on the couple.
Dan threw himself on top of Pinkie, grabbing hold with all his strength.
He felt a strong physical force pull at the couple. A force that began to separate the two. Try as he might, his hands were unable to hold tight to fur, or even Pinkie’s mane which had often trapped his hand in its mass of curls.
Dan felt one of his hands slip off Pinkie as it was pulled behind him, watched as the blackness in front of him cleared as he strained with all his might to hold onto Pinkie’s foreleg.
He looked into Pinkie’s pleading, watery, blue eyes as uncaring eyes behind her and blackness began to pull Pinkie into a circular, dark blue rift in the gloom. He watched as the void began to consume her, his hand, slipping more and more as she was pulled away from him and he away from her.
Dan’s pupils shrank to almost nothing as he lost his grip on Pinkie’s hoof.
“DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!” Pinkie shrieked as her eyes pleaded with him, her hair deflating and turning straight.
“PIIIIIIIIINKIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” Dan screamed, still reaching out as the blackness consumed him and dragged him away into his own rift.
Dan began to feel the blackness around him, almost as if it were a tangible thing; something trying to drowned him, something trying to take him away.
To take him away from her…
“No…” Dan uttered.
“No!” He shouted, as the desperation in has face fell away as determination rose to take its place.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Dan roared into the void.
The feeling stopped. The blackness passed, shifting quickly to the blue-black dimness, then purple, then a crimson red glow that seemed to push the void away.
Confused looking eyes stared back at Dan as his face contorted into a look of absolute rage beyond anything he had managed before.
“What happened?!” A voice called out.
“Send him back!” Another shouted.
“It’s not working!” A panicked voice called.
“What is he?!” Another rang out.
Dan focused his eyes, his fury, and his pure, burning rage at what was in front of him.
He no longer saw The Order Keepers as invincible, untouchable clouds of flickering energy. He only saw obstacles and targets for his anger.
Dan balled his hands into fists, threw his arms into the air, and shouted at the heavens. This time, the heavens responded. The thick air around him fled, replaced instead by a crackling red energy that shot off from Dan like lightening out in all directions. The very ground shook at his primal scream.
“THE ORDER KEEEEEEEEEEEEEPEEEEEEERS!”
Dan Vs.
THE ORDER KEEPERS
Ryouga1100 Did a thing.
It's a thing that's in the comments of the story, previous chapter.
Also here.
You should go to one of these places and heap praise on him.
Also, don't be shy you other artists.
Also, I meant for this to be the author comments on the chapter, but accidentally posted them here, as well. Ooops...
If I remember correctly, there is a story involving Dan, Nathan Drake, Phoenix Wright, The Dragonborn, some demon hunter I forget the name of, and the maker of metal gear rex all being sent to equestrian as the elements of change (aka: Bromance). Dan's happened to be the element of anger and it looks very similar to what's happening to him now. of course I could be drawing conclusions where they are not, but still...
time for Dan to kick some TOK butt
3748314
Humans Assemble, I'm guessing?
Never read it. It seemed like a decent story, but I wasn't sold on the idea that ponies were incapable of defending themselves against serious threats.
I mean, Rarity of all ponies saw a Manticore, and her initial reaction was to run up and kick it in the face.
Though, I hear it has some PinkieXDan, so I'm tempted to go back and give it a read.
Oh dear :o what has Dan become? is it soft? is it juicy?
3748323 Yeah that's the one. I stopped reading it after things started getting too silly for my tastes. Seriously, SephirothXLyra, how in Tartarus does that work?
WHY CAN'T I FAV THIS STORY MORE THEN ONCE!!!
3748365
Seriously?
I was under the impression that the whole thing was a tad on the weird side and very cross-over heavy. Oh well, different strokes for different folks.
3748367
If only. Huh?
You're either Nexus....or against us!
Well, they done goofed. TOK unleashed Dan's ultimate RAGE in the Nexus of All Magic (TM, Patent Pending) by taking HIS Pinkie from him
And it appears he can manifest his rage here...
I'd feel sorry for them... IF I weren't a cynical, mean old bastard that sees Dan as a kind of kindred spirit.
I read a fic with reverse elements of harmony as a plot point, and anger was laughter's counter point because it too was a chaotic energy source but on the opposite side of the emotional spectrum.
3748378 Seriously? "Different strokes for different folks"... Either I'm reading waaay too much into this, or you put a innuendo in there.
Um, hello again :)
just noticed something,
Shouldn't it be 'The latter'
...
Or not, it's totally your choice.
...
Please don't hate me.
...
Oh, and er, also, very good chapter :)
Yes. YES. YES! YEEEEESSSSS!
3748635 It's an old saying, a variation of "to each his own". I'd say your reading too far into it.
3748635
3748962
Ryouga is correct here.
I have nothing against cross-overs or strange fics (obviously, I've written both).
3748768
Looks like you're correct here.
Fixed.
Thanks!
3748365 ....daheq what fic is that, I'm curious now
3748437
Bad pun! No biscuit for you!
3749590 Humans, Assemble is the title.
What kind of sound would "The Order Keepers" make when it enters the screen on the
part?
3751042
Silence would be appropriate, but it would more likely make the sound of a clock.
3751206 Can I get a link to the picture your avatar is from?
EDIT: Nevermind, I found it. It's here, if anyone wants it.
3751543
Yep! It's like my favorite DanXPinkie picture ever. Drawn by Technaro, but bizarrely enough, not on her DA account.
Oh dear, those who claim to be keeping order have just gone and put one of the most psychotically chaotic beings right in the centre of their power.
This going to be like dropping a chunk of antineutronium into the centre of a neutron star. Theoretically? An exploding event horizon.
3751628
Wow. I just found this, and it REALLY fits the latest chapter. If it wasn't for the submission date being January 11, 2013, I would think it was created for this.
3754374
Heh. Actully it's the other way around.
You basically stumbled upon my inspiration for almost the entire story (along with the rest of Tecnaro's art)
I actually considered posting it myself.
Well, this is going to make things awkward for a while.
Also, just for laughs, when/if they get back to a human dimension, I want to see them at a petting zoo. No idea what would happen, but it would probably be hilarious.
3748270
Nice Pic! It got a pretty good balance between the litheness needed for her to do all those nuts acrobatics, and all those empty calories she has in her diet.
3748593
3752081
Heh, yeah, that was dumb. Magic, being ultimately the ability to enforce your will upon the world, makes this boil down to a battle of wills.
Who do you think will win, Dan straight up incensed somebody stole the only person in his life he could honestly claim to love, or a bunch of multidimensional douche-bags who are constantly bored?
Yeah.
This is gonna be messy.
3748606
That is really interesting. Also, that means if they ever breed, their hell spawn will be a perfect balance of happiness and hatred.
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Okay, time for me to pitch an idea. If you decide to do the sliders thing for an arc or so, have them jump around the Hub programming scheduled. Just the animated stuff though. Transformers, Pound Puppies, Littlest Pet Shop, all the marketing gimmicks with surprisingly competent writing staffs.
I want to see a Transformer Pinkie, and just for laughs, make her a Decepticon. Wait, can she even drive a car? Well, she better learn. Or heaven forbid, be a typical 'con military vehicle.
And what about Pound Puppies, make Pinkie human and Dan a dog, or something.
In Littlest Pet shop, Dan Pinkie could be one of those Shetland Ponies.
GI Joe I don't know anything about the plot (having long since become jaded with new entries into the franchise), but all you really need is one battle scene for them to portal into and dodge crossfire.
Just an idea for another arc of random bullshit. I like the idea of using the multiverse idea to have some quick and dirty crossover for maybe a chapter each. the thing is, I find that sort of thing flows better if you don't chose random interests for yourself or the audience, but work on a commonality they both have, in this case the channel that produces and airs them.
3755191 Seriously? Well, I certainly wasn't expecting that.
3756174
Kinda funny how a handful of pictures spun off a giant story huh?
But yeah, I saw the picture of Pinkie and Dan being pulled away from each other in this sort of void by these things and decided there should be a story around this.
3756127
Dont forget, Pinkie doing Transform is Canon at least the sound effect.
Oh no...I'm catching up! Quick, make 50 more chapters before the end of the day!
This picture fits so well
Yes.... YES. yes yes yes yes yes yes!
True Love! Pure Raging Dan!
Questionable inter-species relationships!
Lets crank this shit up to 11. Rock on and fight the power!
My rage is the rage that will pierce the heavens!
*pant*
*pant*
I need a smoke.
4397105
Glad people think up that picture when they read this chapter, since it basically inspired this part a pretty much the entire main plot.
Dan, know that I, and the entire, god-killing power of my Unity Form, am with you.
Are my legs gone?! ARE THE?!
I’m just not use to getting fur in my mouth
shot off from Dan like lightening
1. They.
2. Used.
3. Lightning.
Now TOK done fucked up. Big time.
Welp, Dan went Super Saiyan.
Ah, the shock of seeing your lover's true form for the first time.
Thankfully, he's seen her true SELF, so her true FORM doesn't matter.
Also, the Order Keepers are horribly, unbelievably screwed.
Oh, shit! Dan just went Super Saiyan!
Me: I see getting between Dan and the only girl in the multiverse that he loves and that reciprocates that love. How gutless
TOK: How is that gutless?
Me: Because suicide is the cowards way out.
What you see now is Dan's normal form. *pairs with Pinkie* This is a Super Dan. *cut to him with tremendous rage*
And this...is to go...EVEN FURTHER BEYOND!
4862392 Oh you. Quoting DBZ:Abridged Frieza.
I like you.
*be afraid*
3748382 oh hey! That reminds me of a little tune! " if only if only the wood pecker sighs the bark on the trees was as soft as the skies as the wolf waits below hungry and lonely he cries to the moo-oo-oon if only if only." I ha to do a book report on holes a loooong time ago, so when people say "if only" it reminds me of this tune song thingy.
"They say there is nothing more dangerous than a man with nothing to loose...
I say it's the man with one thing left to protect."
OMFG I CANT EVEN RIGHT NOW ON A SCALE FROM 1 TO EVEN I JUST CANT
"okay to freak out about"
^^;
5040928 that would suck